Like Other Boys
by Bodacious-S
Summary: Mello, Matt, and Near sing out their frustrations to L when Roger denies them their quirks. No pairings. The song is my Wammy version of "Like Other Girls" by Atomic Kitten, seen in Mulan II. Does this count as a songfic?


"LAWLIET!"

This was the only warning he got before he had his arms full of three young boys. The blonde clung tightly to his shirt front and began sobbing into his shoulder.

"Mello," L muttered in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Roger said he couldn't eat chocolate anymore," Matt explained, rubbing Mello's back comfortingly.

"It's not fair!" Mello wailed. "He said I had to be healthy to be a detective. Well, if being a detective means being unhappy, I think I'd rather be a… a _normal_ person!"

"Mello-kun doesn't mean that," Near said, worry creeping into his voice.

"Like hell I don't!" Mello exploded. "Who does Roger think he is, trying to control everything we do like that? He doesn't know us! Besides, L eats sweets all the time, doesn't he?"

"Roger is only doing what he thinks is best," L said. "Granted, what is best for normal children does not generally work on prodigies—"

"Straight up," Matt agreed.

Mello sniffled and buried his face in L's shirt. "It's not _fair_…"

L sat him up in his lap, and Near and Matt automatically curled into L's sides. "I think I have a song you might like," the detective said with a small smile, and then he began to sing. The song was slow and complimented L's rich baritone; soon Matt and Near were sniffing too, tears springing forth at the thought of all the harassment they'd gotten from Roger over the years. "The life of a detective from his birth is well defined," L sang as he wiped their faces with his sleeve. "He must humbly serve his country, play the part he's been assigned. He guards the hopes of his people: weak and mighty, rich and poor. Who could ever ask for more?" L sighed and buried his nose in Mello's hair. "Who could ever ask for more?" he repeated. L's voice cracked, and that pushed the blonde over the edge.

Mello shoved away, stalked across L's bedroom, and began his own song. "But I wanna be like other boys!" he shouted. "I want to see what other boys see."

Matt, recognizing the tune, stood and joined in. "Just to be free like other boys get to be." Mello grinned at Matt, and pretty soon, the two were chasing each other around the room happily.

"To play with my toys," Near lamented.

"To wear my good goggles!"

"Eat the foods that I want," Mello sneered and glared in the general direction of Roger's office.

"Be quiet," Near whispered, dreaming of the kind of silence that was impossible as long as Mello and Matt were around.

As if sensing this, said teens tackled the albino to the bed and screamed in unison, "be _crazy!_"

Once their laughter died down, the three sang together, "be anything I want to be."

"Play my video games all day long," Matt said with a wistful sigh.

Near sat up and shook his head like a dog. "To mess with my hair!"

"Wear my black leather pants."

"To eat a whole cake," Matt hinted, elbowing L in the side. "And go crazy with the frosting!"

Mello jumped to his feet, pulled his two friends with him, and began spinning in a circle. The three once again sang in perfect harmony. "No escorts, no pressures, no mysteries, no worries!"

"No people who think that they know me but don't," Mello growled.

"No… uncomfortable shoes?" L asked, hesitant.

"No uncomfortable shoes!" the teens echoed enthusiastically. Three pairs of sneakers and two boots were thrown into a pile on the floor, as if they were about to be burned.

This time, L joined in on their song.

"I want to be like other boys; scrape up my knees like other boys can! Just to be free like other boys get to be."

"To speak for ourselves," Near sang.

Mello grabbed him by the collar. "To run around and _scream!_"

L propped his head up with his elbow, gazing out his bedroom window. "To be with someone I've met, who loves me for _me_…"

"No escorts, no pressures, no mysteries, no worries! No people who think that they know us but don't…"

"No uncomfortable shoes," L reminded them, wiggling his bare toes in their direction.

"We want to be like other boys; climb up a tree like other boys can. Just to be free like other boys _get to be!_"

Laughing, the four collapsed against L's bed and tried to catch their breaths.

"Mello?"

"Yeah?"

L smiled at him, a playful light dancing behind his black eyes. "I'll talk to Roger about the chocolate."

~*(S)*~

"**To be with someone I've met, who loves me for **_**me**_**." Yes, I like to think L was talking about Light here, but I'll leave that open for interpretation.**

**If you're wondering why the Wammy kids are so tearful in this fic, it's probably because I imagined them being around ten years old or so.**

**By the way, Alessandro Juliani, L's English voice actor, is a beautiful singer. You can look him up on YouTube by searching for "Gaeta's Lament." Make sure you listen to the new five minute long version, and not the shitty video where AJ is playing a half-conscious guy with a leg cut off. The best video I've seen so far is titled something like "Bear McCreary - Gaeta's Lament."**

**(Seriously guys, that shit's on my iPod.)**

**PS: Tell me what parts of my story you thought needed work or didn't flow well so I can focus on my weak areas. I'd really appreciate it.**


End file.
